Central govt scheme to help farmers in Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 13 JAN: In order to implement Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojona (RKVY), a Central government programme for the development of farmers, the Malda agriculture department has been selecting co-operative societies in order to provide agricultural equipments to the farmers.

Recently the department has selected a society at Krishnanagar along Barind belt to develop tribal farmers.

According to the assistant director (plant protection) of the agriculture department in Malda, Dr Tamal Kumar Sarkar, the Krishnanagar co-operative society in Habibpur will be getting modern agriculture equipments worth Rs 8 lakh under RKVY’s fund allotted in 2009-10.

The decision to select co-operatives was taken following the positive responses and good experiences from the other co-operatives under the RKVY, he added.

“The objective of the supplying modern equipments under RKVY is to develop co-operative societies as well as local farmers. The co-operatives will provide the farmers with power tillers, pump sets, sprayers, modern machineries for harvesting and sowing on rental basis. The income through this system will develop the resources of the co-operatives”, Dr. Sarkar said.

According to the agriculture department two co-operative societies located in Gazole, another tribal dominated area, and in Chanchal are functioning sell in this regard. The department had allotted a fund of Rs. 6.75 lakh to each co-operative society in 2008-09 under the RKVY.

The agriculture department had provided power tillers, pump sets, sprayers and other modern equipments to the Gazole large scale cooperative society and Arbora co-operative society in Chanchal.

The manager of the Arbora co-operative society, Mr. Syed Alamgir Ali said: “We had got four power tillers, 16 sprayer machines, five pump sets and other equipments last year. Farmers are using these equipments on a rental basis. We have reduced the rental charges of those equipments by more than 20 percent compared to the rate at the local markets. This system has developed our earnings by helping farmers”.